QUEENS, N.Y. -
St. John's head men's basketball coach Steve Lavin announced Monday that Rico Hines has joined his Red Storm staff as an assistant coach. Hines is a 2002 UCLA grad who recently completed his fourth season as a player/athletic development assistant for the NBA's Golden State Warriors, where he was hired by St. John's legend and former Golden State executive Chris Mullin and worked extensively with Warriors' head coach Don Nelson, who is now the NBA's winningest all-time mentor.

"Rico is a talented, natural-born teacher and coach with a relentless work ethic. He is one of the true rising stars in the coaching profession," said Lavin. "His talents in on-court player skill development and his reach as a north-to-south, coast-to-coast recruiter are among the definite benefits he brings to our staff at St. John's."

In his role with Golden State from 2006-10, Hines, 32, worked closely on the court with players throughout the season to assist in their overall skill development and game preparation. Additionally, Hines was largely involved with the players' off-season training, having worked with several Warriors, particularly the guards, over the last four summers - a list that includes Baron Davis, Stephen Curry, Anthony Morrow and Monta Ellis.

"Rico Hines will be a great addition to the St. John's program. He's done an outstanding job developing our younger players and has matured into a great assistant coach," said Nelson, who became the NBA's winningest all-time head coach on April 7 and now owns 1,335 career victories.

Added Curry, who set the NBA record for most 3-pointers made by a rookie in 2009-10 with 166 and who is currently listed among the candidates for the league's 2010 Rookie of the Year award, "Rico Hines is a hard working, dedicated coach. When working out with Rico, he gives you a blueprint to what is going to improve your skill set while making you a more confident and able player. It was a pleasure to work with Rico and I feel that he was instrumental in the success that I experienced during my rookie year."

In addition to his work with Golden State's players, Hines has worked closely with numerous NBA and collegiate players during the offseason in recent years - including Trevor Ariza, Hakim Warrick, Marcus Williams, Ryan Hollins, Brandon Bass, Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Darren Collison, Marcus Morris, Markeiff Morris, Antoine Wright and Jeff Pendergraph - coaching and training individuals in preparation for the rigors of an NBA season.

Said Ariza of Hines, "He is phenomenal. He is going to get the best out of you every time you step on the court. Whatever he sees in the young kids, he is going to go out there and make sure they reach their full potential. That's just the type of person he is. When he played, he worked hard, and as a coach, he works even harder."

A native of Greenville, North Carolina, Hines received a bachelor's degree in history from UCLA in 2002, with a minor in African-American studies. While at UCLA, Hines was a five-year member of the basketball program (redshirt season was 2000-01), serving as team captain for his final three seasons, which included five Bruin NCAA appearances and four trips to the Sweet 16. He prepped at St. John's at Prospect Hall in Frederick, Md., playing under two-time national high school coach of the year Stu Vetter.